moffat



(No Model.) 7 2 She'etsSheet l;

G. D. MOFFAT.

GAPODASTRO FOR. GUITARS.

No. 390,612. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

G. D. MOPPAT.

GAPODASTRO FOR GUITARS.

No. 390,612. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

GEORGE D. MOFFAT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE W. LYON,PATRICK J. HEALY, ROBERT E. GREGORY, AND CHARLES N.

POST.

CAPODASTRO FOR GUITARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,612, dated October2, 1888.

Application filed April 12, 1888. Serial No. 270,479. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. IlIOFFAT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Guitars,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guitar attachments of that kind in which theattachment commonly termed a capodastro, is adapted for temporaryapplication to the guitar-neck in such way as to hoid down the stringsat some desired point along the fret-board and thereby produce theeffect of shortening up the strings.

A capodastro as ordinarily constructed is adapted to embrace and clampupon the guitarneck; and as a means for shortening the vibrating lengthof the strings said device has been provided with a presser-bar hingedat one end,so as to permit it to be laid across the strings. Thispresser-bar when placed across the strings has been locked by acatchadapted to engage its free end; and hence it has been usual to hinge thepresser-bar at one end to one of the arms of a yoke adapted to receivethe guitar-neel ,and to provide the remaining arm of the yoke with somesort of a catch for engaging and locking the presser-bar in rigidconnection with the yoke. In some instances the yoke has been providedat its middle with an adjusting-screw swiveled at one end to'abearing-plate adapted to engage the under side of the guitar-neck, sothat by adjusting the screw the guitar neck could be clamped between thebearing-plate and the presser-bar. In another instance it has beenproposed to substitute a spring forthe adjustingscrew; but thissubstitution of a spring has proved inefficient and undesirable.

In all of the foregoing-mentioned instances it has been a matter of somedifficulty to so apply the capodastro as to permit the production of asperfect a tone as might be desired,owing to the incapability of thepresserbar to adapt itself to the difi'erent sizes of strings anddifferent degrees of tension to which they are subjected, it being alsoobserved in this connection that the presence of a presser-bar rigidwith the yoke required an exact positioning of the latter, and that anydeviation from one precise position tended to cause the presserbar todepress some of the strings more than the others.

The objects of my invention are to obviate said defects, and, further,to provide adurable, simplified, and otherwise improved construction ofcapodastro, which can be more readily applied and removed thanheretofore, it being observed that in the older constructions it isfrequently a matter of some labor to operate the catch, particularlywhen it is desirable to unlock the pressenbar.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter described,and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In a capodastro characterized by my invention the presser-bar ispivotally held at a point betweenits ends, but otherwise left free,whereby it is capable of a rocking or tilting action, and hence renderedselfadjusting to the size and tension of the strings and otherwisebetter adapted to conform to the situation. This self adjustingpresserbar can be attached to any suitable form of body-support providedwith any desired construction of adjustable bearing adapted to engagethe under side of the guitar-neck. As a further feature ofiinprovement,however, I propose providing the capodastro with simplified means formore readily adapting it to the guitanneck and properly securing itthereon, as hcreinafterde scribed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a section taken transverselythrough aguitar-neck and a set of strings, and illustrates in elevationa capodastro involving the several features of my invention and appliedto hold down the strings. Fig. 2 is a section on line2 2, Fig. 1, withthe guitar neck and strings omitted. Fig. 3 represents a sectional planon line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents the capodastro of Fig. 1 with anold form of adjustable lower bearing employed in place of the bearingand locking device shown in Fig. I. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5,Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 represents the selfadjusting presserbar detached.

The self-adjusting presser-bar A is hinged or pivoted at a pointintermediate of its ends to any suitable construction of body-support B,and is free to tilt about its point of pivotal suspension, in which way,regardless of the position of the capodastro upon the guitar neck, thepresscr-bar will conform to the situation and serve to properly depressthe strings. In this way should such adjustable bearing as may beemployed to engage the under side of the guitar-neck be applied more orless to either side of the exact middle line of the guitar-neck, suchapplication will in no wise affect the perfect application of thepresser-bar to'the strings, since in such case the presserbar is free toconform to the situation. The presser-bar can be provided with a pad, a,of cork or other suitable material,adapted to prevent injury to thestrings, it being usual to provide the presser-bar of a capodastro witha pad for such purpose. The body 13 of the capodastro can, ashereinbefore stated, be of any suitable or desired construction. thatherein shown being simply a substantially .C-shaped metal plate, whichrecommends itself on account of its extreme simplicity.

In the first three figures of the drawings I have provided thecapodastro with an eccentric or cam lever, 0, between which and theself-adjusting presser-bar the guitar-neck can be clamped, so as tocause the presser-bar to hold down the strings, as in Fig. 1. In orderto prevent the cam portion of this cam-lever from rubbing and injuringthe guitar-neck, its bearing-face is in effect formed by a hingedbearing-plate, D, that is hinged to the body of the capodastro andadapted to conform to the rounded under side of a guitar-neck. Thisbearing-plate is provided with a suitable pad, d, which is to beardirectly against the guitarneck, so as to avoid all injury to theinstrument. The cam portion of said cam-lever may be simply a diskprovided with a lever-arm and pivoted eccentrically upon the body of thecapodastro, or it can be otherwise pivoted and provided with a suitablecam-surface. Under such arrangement the hinged bearingplate that isinterposed between the cam and the guitarneck will readily adapt itselfto the latter, and hence in this respectit co-operates with theself-adjusting presser-bar.

The employment of the can1lever permits the capodastro to be quicklyapplied and firmly held in place upon the guitar-neck, and after serviceallows the capodastro to be readily detached.

WVhile, therefore, I regard both the hinged bearing-plate and thecam-lever as constituting features of improvement, I further regard theself-adjusting presser-bar as a distinctive feature of improvementregardless of the de vices employed for application to the under side ofthe guitar-neck. To such end, I have in Fig. 4 illustrated in connectionwith the self-adjusting presser-bar an old construction ofoppositely-arranged adjustable bearing E, comprising a bearing-plate, e,that is operated by an adj ustingscrew, and provided with guide-pins eunderstood to slide through guide-holes in the body of the capodastrowhen the screw is operated for the purpose of clamping the bearing-plate6 against the under side of the guitar-neck. It is understood,therefore, that where desired said adjustable bearing E, or any othersuitable or desired construction of bearing, can be used in connectionwith the selfadjusting presser-bar A.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A capodastro provided with aself-adjusting presserbar for holding down the strings of a guitar,substantially as set forth.

2. In a capodastro for guitars, the combination, with a presser-bar forholding down the strings, of a cam between which and the presser-bar theguitar-neck can be clamped, substantially as set forth.

3. In a capodastro for guitars, the combination, with a presser-bararranged for holding down the strings, of the hinged bearing-platearranged to bear against the under side of the guitar-neck,substantially as set forth.

4. In a capodastro for guitars, the combination, with the self-adjustingpresser-bar arranged for holding down the strings, of the hingedbearing-plate D, arranged for engaging the underside of the guitar-neck,substantially as described.

5. In a capodastroforguitars, the combination, with the self-adjustingpresser bar arranged for holding down the strings, of a bearing-platearranged to engage the under side of the guitar-neck, and means, such asset forth, for clamping said bearing-plate against the guitar-neck, forthe purpose described.

6. In a capodastro for guitars, the combination, with the self-adjustingpresser-bar A,arranged for holding down the strings, ofa bearing-plate,D, arranged to engage the under side of the guitar-neck, and thecamlever arranged for forcing and locking said bearingplate against theguitar-neck, substantially as described.

GEORGE D. MOFFAT.

Witnesses:

GHAs. G. PAGE, L. L. PAGE.

